On this page
Most Bay Area parks are a few thousand acres. Henry W. Coe State Park is about 87,000. California State Parks calls it the largest state park in Northern California, a mostly undeveloped stretch of Diablo Range ridges and canyons east of Morgan Hill. On a quiet weekday you can walk for hours without seeing anyone. In spring the grassy ridges turn blue and gold with lupine and poppies.
Coe is also rugged. The trails are steep, the summers are hot and water is scarce away from the entrances. It is not a casual stroll like the preserves near Palo Alto. With a good plan, a day hike from the Coe Ranch entrance is very doable from home. This guide covers the drive, the three entrances, fees, two classic hikes, dogs and the safety basics.
Getting there
From Palo Alto, take Highway 101 south past San Jose to Morgan Hill and exit at East Dunne Avenue. State Parks describes the main entrance as 13 miles east of Morgan Hill. Drive east past Anderson Lake to the end of the county road at park headquarters. The last 10 miles are a narrow, winding road that State Parks says takes about 30 minutes. All told, allow roughly 1 hour 15 minutes from Palo Alto in light traffic.
Fill up on gas and buy food in Morgan Hill. Watch for cyclists and deer on East Dunne Avenue. Take it slowly after dark.
The three entrances
| Entrance | Access | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coe Ranch (headquarters) | End of East Dunne Avenue, Morgan Hill | Open 24 hours, every day | Visitor center, drinking water, the only drive-in campground; the only entrance where dogs are allowed |
| Hunting Hollow | Gilroy Hot Springs Road, Gilroy | Open 24 hours, every day | Day use and backpacking; no drinking water; no car camping; no dogs |
| Dowdy Ranch | Bell's Station gate off the Pacheco Pass Highway (Highway 152), about 7 miles to the visitor center | Seasonal, about 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Season listed as February 16 to November 30; drinking water and flush toilets; no dogs |
State Parks says the Coe Ranch and Hunting Hollow entrances are open 365 days a year, including holidays. On November 1, 2026, the park's volunteer site, coepark.net, listed Dowdy as open daily. By its own season dates, Dowdy closes after November 30. Hikers using the Coyote Creek gate must park at Hunting Hollow, since the gate has no parking.
The park's address for mail is 9100 East Dunne Avenue, Morgan Hill, per the volunteer site. Questions go to (408) 779-2728 or HenryW.CoeSP@parks.ca.gov. Check the State Parks page before you go; it lists current restrictions at the top.
Fees and passes
State Parks lists a vehicle day use fee of $8 and warns that special rates may apply during peak season, holiday periods and weekends. The park accepts the California Explorer and Golden Poppy annual passes, the free Fourth Grade Pass, the Disabled Discount Pass, the Distinguished Veteran Pass, the Golden Bear passes and the California State Library Parks Pass.
Two classic day hikes from Coe Ranch
The volunteer site says the park has more than 250 miles of trails and old ranch roads, from easy loops of about a mile and a half to backpacking loops of 50 miles or more. Staff at the visitor center keep a binder of popular hikes with mileage and elevation. Two favorites, with distances as published on coepark.net:
Frog Lake Loop: 4.5 miles, 640 feet of gain
From near headquarters, climb a few hundred feet from Manzanita Point Road, turn left on the Monument Trail and follow it to Hobbs Road. The road drops about a mile, with steep sections, to the Little Fork of Coyote Creek. Cross the creek and follow the trail to Frog Lake. Return across the Little Fork on the Flat Frog Trail for about two miles to "Grand Junction," then take the Corral Trail back. The site recommends going clockwise, since the reverse means a hard, steep climb. Flat Frog Trail is a wildflower route in spring.
China Hole Loop: 10 miles, 1,400 feet of gain
This moderately strenuous loop starts near the stop sign at the Coe Ranch trailhead. Follow the Corral Trail and Springs Trail to Manzanita Point Road, then drop on the Madrone Soda Springs Trail to the site of an old resort. The descent is steep and slippery in places. The Mile Trail follows the creek with 12 crossings to China Hole, a swimming hole the site describes as about 20 feet wide and 7 to 8 feet deep, with a small sandy beach. Climb back on the China Hole Trail to Manzanita Point. Late spring and early summer are the favorite seasons; in winter and early spring the creek crossings can run high. Poison oak grows along the Mile Trail all year.
Carry a map. The volunteer site warns that some trails are incredibly steep and that it is easy to take a wrong turn.
Camping and backpacking
The Coe Ranch entrance has the park's only drive-in campground. State Parks lists 20 sites there. The park's volunteer site says each has a picnic table and a fire pit with a grill. Book through ReserveCalifornia; on November 1, 2026, State Parks showed sites available on most nights in the following two weeks. The park also has hike-in group camps at Manzanita Point, Poverty Flat and Blue Oak (which also takes horses) and wide-open backcountry camping for backpackers. Check fire rules before you light anything. Our camping guide compares Coe with other campgrounds within reach of Palo Alto.
Dogs, bikes and horses
- Dogs: State Parks allows them only at the Coe Ranch entrance: in the campground, on paved areas and on the half-mile Live Oak Trail linking the visitor center with the entrance parking lot. Campers must keep dogs in the tent or vehicle at night. Dogs are banned everywhere else, including Hunting Hollow, Dowdy and all hike-in group camps. Our dog-friendly hikes guide has better options.
- Bikes: State Parks lists bike trails among the park's activities. The volunteer site's biking page puts the mileage open to mountain bikes in the hundreds. Expect brutally steep fire roads. Our mountain biking guide covers rides closer to home. Ask the park about e-bike rules before you go.
- Horses: riders get what the volunteer site calls nearly 100 square miles of single track and dirt roads. Blue Oak is the horse camp.
Heat, water and creeks
State Parks is blunt about conditions. Summers are hot and dry, with highs above 90°F and some cooling at night. Carry and drink plenty of water, even on easier trails. Hikers going 5 miles or more should be ready for backcountry travel, with large amounts of water and a purifier. Even then, summer water can be hard to find. Winters are wet, with highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s. Seasonal creeks can flood and become dangerous and impassable. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons; dress in layers.
Good to know
- Ticks are common in grass and brush, especially in winter and spring. Wear long pants and check yourself carefully afterward.
- Poison oak lines many canyon trails, including the Mile Trail.
- Rattlesnakes are out on warm days.
- Mountain lions roam this backcountry. Hike with others, keep children close and never run if you meet one.
- Fire: the 2007 Lick Fire burned 47,760 acres in the north of the park, Wikipedia says. State Parks scheduled a prescribed burn in the park in December 2024. Check restrictions in fire season.
- Cell service is unreliable. Tell someone your route and return time.
From cattle ranch to state park
The park began as Pine Ridge Ranch, the home of Henry Willard Coe Jr. and his family from 1905 until his death in 1943, according to Wikipedia. His daughter, Sada Sutcliffe Coe Robinson, bought the ranch back in 1950 and donated it to Santa Clara County in 1953. It became a state park in the late 1950s and grew through purchases of neighboring ranches in the 1980s and 1990s. About 22,000 acres in the north form the Henry W. Coe State Wilderness, known locally as the Orestimba Wilderness.
After a wet winter, State Parks says, wildflowers bloom from February through March and are everywhere by April: lupine, poppies, goldfields and baby blue eyes, then mariposa lilies and larkspur in late April and May. Our wildflowers guide has other bloom spots.
What pairs nearby
- Gilroy and San Juan Bautista: lunch and a mission visit south of Morgan Hill.
- Pinnacles National Park: more Diablo Range rock and caves, roughly an hour farther south.
- Anderson Lake: the reservoir you pass on East Dunne Avenue, a Santa Clara County park.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to enter Henry W. Coe State Park?
California State Parks lists a vehicle day use fee of $8. It notes that special rates may apply on weekends and holidays and that prices can change. The park accepts state park annual passes, including the California Explorer and Golden Poppy passes.
Are dogs allowed at Henry Coe?
Only in a few places. State Parks allows dogs at the Coe Ranch entrance in the campground, on paved areas and on the half-mile Live Oak Trail between the visitor center and the entrance parking lot. Dogs are not allowed anywhere else, including Hunting Hollow, the Dowdy entrance and the hike-in group camps.
What is the best day hike at Henry Coe?
From the Coe Ranch entrance, the Frog Lake Loop is 4.5 miles round trip with 640 feet of climbing, according to the park's volunteer site. For a harder day, the China Hole Loop is 10 miles round trip with 1,400 feet of gain and 12 creek crossings, ending at a swimming hole that is busiest in late spring and early summer.
Is the Dowdy Ranch entrance open?
Dowdy Ranch is seasonal. The park's volunteer site lists a season of February 16 to November 30, with the gate open about 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The site showed it open in late October 2026. It is reached from the Bell's Station gate on the Pacheco Pass Highway.
Is there water at Henry Coe?
Drinking water is available at the Coe Ranch entrance and at the Dowdy visitor center in season. Hunting Hollow has none. On the trails, summer water is hard to find, so State Parks tells long-distance hikers to carry large amounts of water and a way to purify it.